My Big Fat Greek Blog Post
Nia Vardalos, star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding who is married to Ian Gomez from Felicity, talks about “fatist” Hollywood (bolding mine):
On the publicity tour of My Big Fat Greek Wedding I was asked over and over again, if, as the writer, I felt it was a fair depiction of real life to have someone of my below average looks, hook up with hottie John Corbett.
I thought I was attractive when I shot My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Studio executives and movie reviewers let me know I had a confidence in my looks that was not shared by them. In other words, they labelled me with words like, overweight, unattractive, unappealing. Hey, just say fat. I love the word fat. I used it in the title. It’s actually not a naughty word.
I have sat through many a movie like Sideways, where nobody blinks an eye when Paul Giamatti gets together with gorgeous Virginia Madsen, and Knocked Up. I mean the visual of Seth Rogen on top of Katherine Heigl made me put the popcorn down and reach for my purse… because I knew the film was about to stop and Ashton Kutcher would now jump out and go, ‘Aha, you’ve been punked.’ I waited, but no Ashton.
Socially, the issue of men’s weight is simply not a big deal. Let’s face it, Russell Crowe is fat and no one ever talks about it. Alec Baldwin just orders his suits a size bigger and we continue to swoon. Meanwhile, I get hit with this awkward question about my weightloss daily and I have answered it in press interviews, at the grocery store, at the newspaper stand. Why? Because I see their (people) anxious, open faces needing the secret, the new pill, the cure, anything: ‘Just please share the secret’. So I hesitantly answer and I am always met with the same response: the glaze-eye, slack-jawed face.
They don’t want to hear the truth – I had a blood sugar problem, so my doctor ordered me to lose weight. It was really hard but I did it through diet and exercise, and it took a year.
I first heard about this interview in Entertainment Weekly, where I also saw that she’s reteaming with John Corbett in a movie coming out next month, which I might have to go and see, because I have a weak spot for My Big Fat Greek Wedding. (Not so much John Corbett since I hated Aiden on Sex and the City. Although… there was the whole plotline where Aiden lost weight and “got hot” and reunited with Carrie. But I didn’t like either version of Aiden.) Anyway, the point is, I can’t believe there were people who didn’t think Nia Vardalos was hot in that movie. Because she totes was.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Celebrities, Feminism, Gossip, Magazines, Media, Movies, Seth Rogan, TV, Weight Loss
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I love Big Fat Greek Wedding! I thought Nia Vardalos was beautiful in that movie. It seems like she has some really good self esteem despite the crticism she got from studio executives.
In regards to “Knocked Up,” the Katherine Heigl character was drunk when they had sex; I also thought it was made clear that no one thought he was good enough for her, looks being a big part of that.
Sort of implied that if he was an unemployed pothead who looked like Brad Pitt or someone like that it would have been more OK.
Vardalos sums up the women & weight double standard so well. I loved MBFGW, and it sucks so hard that she had to endure such a slam on her appearance during and after the making of that movie. I found their relationship completely believable in the film, because it actually felt real. Screw Hollywood.
I’m glad that Nia Vardalos hated Sideways too. I hated that movie for so many reasons (who edited that thing?! for serious?!), but among them, the fact that both Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church, both of whom are total eyesores (IMHO) just kind of EXPECTED that they could hook up with Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. And of course, men everywhere loved it, because in real life they too EXPECT that they are entitled to beautiful women, even if they themselves have enough neuroses for the entire state of Texas and are paunchy and balding and have ugly facial hair and wear collared shirts tucked into jeans with belts.
Part of the reason I loved My Big Fat Greek Wedding was because Toula’s prettified appearance was a byproduct of her wanting to feel more empowered in her life, which is ACTUALLY HOW IT HAPPENS. It wasn’t like in most similar movies, as in, “If I change the way I look first, then the self-respect will come.” Once she had the confidence to go back to school and change her situation, that’s when she began to “beautify” herself, and that’s when John Corbett was actually able to see what a great person she was. Because her outside appearance was fortified by her inner confidence.
I’m trying to think of a similar parallel for men, but I can’t. Since women’s confidence and success has historically been so bound up in their appearance, and since men have historically come to expect certain things regardless of how much effort they put into their own self-improvement, it seems like the more empowered women get, the more holistically beautiful they’ll become. And men, well, they’ll just stay the same.
It’s off topic but I thought you might find this interesting. I happened to catch a show on We called Raising Sextuplets. The husband, Bryan, was sent to a weight loss clinic and when he told the doctor that he is healthy and ran a marathon the doctor pretty much dismissed it and said that you can’t be healthy and obese. The doctor’s plan to make him “healthy” was a powdered meal replacement drink that is mixed into water.
The best line from MBFGW was when Nia Vardalos’ and John Corbett’s characters were talking about the first time they saw each other. I can’t recall what she said; something like she had stumbled or worn glasses–whatever. But I remember his reply: “I dont remember that; but I remember YOU”.
Which comes down to what I’ve always thought–when the attraction is there, it’s there.
Oh, and I also hated “Sideways”. I finally got around to seeing it, and was expecting something wonderful from all the hype.
Instead I got two boring, annoying, self-centred male characters that I didn’t give a rat’s tiny behind about. And I certainly didn’t find their relationships with the two female characters believable. Really–both men were total losers, and I’m not just talking looks.
Add the movie’s being being slow and draggy–I shut it off in disgust halfway through.
@Lucy, your post on Sideways had me laughing outloud. I thought that movie was terrible as well. Not to mention the male characters were really pathetic. I’m less interested in who gets who in a film and more interested in seeing more complexity from female characters. *sigh*
Obviously at the beginning of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardolos was styled to look unattractive because that was part of her character – but once she had the makeover she was fabulously pretty (and the makeover didn’t include an ounce of weight loss, just some new clothes and eyebrow plucking). She seemed perfectly equal in hotness to John Corbett. WTF, media?
I met Nia Vardalos at an AIDS benefit in 2004.
She was a speaker at the event’s luncheon, looking very chic in a white suit. Shortly after that, the wedding dress from “Greek Wedding” was auctioned for charity, and described as “Size 10, plus one pair white satin shoes size 9”. Now, WHO in his right mind would look at a 5’6″ size 10 woman and see FAT? Yes, in the early scenes of “Greek Wedding” Miss Vardalos’ character was dressed in baggy sweaters and un-madeup to look downtrodden & frumpy, so that you couldn’t even guess at what size she was. As the picture progressed at the girl fluffed herself up, you could see that, although not necessarily conventionally pretty, this was an attractive girl with a nice, slim figure.
Hollywood: WAKE UP!
“I don’t remember Frump Girl. But I remember you.” THAT LINE GETS ME EVERY TIME. I want to hug and kiss John Corbett every time he says it. I decided a long time ago that any guy who says something like that to me is actually probably worth my time, so I will likely rethink my no dating policy for him.
Even if Katherine Heigl’s character in “Knocked Up” was drunk while having sex with Seth Rogen, she wasn’t drunk in the end when she chose to end up being with him. Make the argument about whether or not she ends up falling in love with him, yet the fact remains that Hollywood repeatedly sends a message of: fugly men can get hot women, but not the other way around (unless it’s some sort of weird anomaly, or just a stupid joke).
Anyone disturbed by the pairing of Megan Fox and Shia LaBoeuf? Sure he has his cute moments, but that’s just effing ridiculous thinking if a normal dude like him should be able to get a girl like her.
I wouldn’t mind this “lying about the leagues” if it were the other way around equally.
I’m actually kind of disturbed by the “ew fat men are ugly” undertones, as if acting like fat and attractive are mutually exclusive for men will prove to society that they aren’t mutually exclusive for women.
GAH! @ Hollywood. I love My Big Fat Greek Wedding, for many reasons (especially the ‘I don’t remember Frump Girl, I remember YOU’, and her relationship with her brother), but one of them is that I felt they looked like a real, well-matched couple. Not that couples need to “match” in hottie score, more that I completely believe these two characters, played by these two actors, having a genuine attraction.
In SITC I always liked the IDEA of Aidan, but he was scripted a bit too mushy and squishy and ended up being annoying, I figure that’s because his role was to be the man Carrie’s supposed to want, but she really wants the asshole. But then, Aidan’s a carpenter, and that’s very hot (to me).
I think it’s less that “fat guys are ugly” than, in Hollywood, guys, regardless of what they look like, will ultimately become a hero and “get the girl” in the movie because, inside, they are strong and trustworthy. Whereas women absolutely MUST look 19 and weigh 80 pounds in order to have ANY redeeming qualities whatsoever.
You must understand, Hollywood is run by men who have the mentality of a horny-toad 14 year-old.
MBFGW was so great because of all the things mentioned so far. She becomes beautiful when she quits the restaurant, follows her own wants, and starts to live her life. And she is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!!
With all the Sideways discussion, I’m surprised no one’s mentioned its treatment of the fat waitress, and how the character hits on her because he figures she’ll be “the grateful type.”
Although I did like the fat sex scene later in the movie, how often do you see two fat naked characters getting it on!? That was the best part of teh movie for me.
Sarah, I posted about Cammi the waitress back in the day! Thanks for reminding me! (The archives are broken so you have to scroll down the page to read it; it’s the July 24 post.)
For me, John Corbett will always be “Chris in the Morning”, the DJ in Northern Exposure.
I am old. Corbett has always been hot. I love the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and wish Nia Vardalos every success. That is all.